


In Another Time

by LadyAmalthea



Category: Break the Chains - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blow Jobs, CW in notes, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 07:46:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18545392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAmalthea/pseuds/LadyAmalthea
Summary: What if Avery hadn't signed a contract with The Circle?Would he still find Conrad in the most extraordinary of circumstances?





	In Another Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reis_Asher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reis_Asher/gifts).



> !!!!!!! PLEASE NOTE !!!!!!!!
> 
> This may contain SPOILERS (and references) for Reis Asher's "Break the Chains" ! Please read the book before reading this!
> 
> Additionally, this deals with some of the same content in the book, specifically human slave trade. Please *do not read* if that will be an issue for you.

  
  


A groan echoed through his stone-walled cell. “Fuck…” Conrad gasped at the pain in his abdomen, flaring up like a match that had just been striked aflame. 

 

He had signed a contract with The Circle after finances had plunged beyond his control, and he could see the betraying look of apathy on his daughter Christina's face when he set the pen down. He didn't quite know what he was expecting, but the first bidder was a shady-looking man, his hair buzzed down to the scalp, and moments before being put under anesthesia he was told they were harvesting one if his kidneys.

 

God, who would even want one of those? After all the shit he put his body through?

 

The man must have put him back on the auction block, all of his use extinguished, because here he was: locked in a cell with nothing more than the metal collar around his neck and a fresh scar. A couple of guards knocked their nightsticks against the iron bars, and metal on his neck itched uncomfortably as he pushed himself up with help from the wall behind him.

 

“This one ain't gonna sell for much,” one of them commented, readying a needle by flicking it with the edge of one of his fingernails.

 

The other shrugged, and crooked a finger to beckon the man forward. “C'mere,” he said to Conrad.

 

He moved up against the bars, the sting of the needle no less painful than the first time, and the blood rushed from his already dizzy head to his groin. At least he didn't particularly mind being exposed in front of a crowd, but the conditions weren't really his cup of tea, if he could be honest.

 

Following the guards up a set of stairs to a small platform of a stage, he scanned the blank faces with curiosity. He just barely recognized his owner who sat in the back, sneering with realization that he would probably lose whatever investment he had made on Conrad.

 

“We will start at $100,” an auctioneer bellowed.

 

If he had known just how worthless some considered another life, he would've taken his chances with declaring bankruptcy. “ _ The easy life,”  _ his daughter had said, and he realized just how much she had been lying through her teeth. Who knew what else she lied about, too. Some of the others told him about living in mines, fighting in foreign wars; they were all just pawns now.

 

“$120!” A woman called out, and sparingly, a few others bid until it plateaued at $350. 

 

The auctioneer raised his gavel, “Anyone for $360? No? $350 going once…”

 

“$400!” 

 

Conrad squinted through the bright stage lighting to the source of the voice, and his intrigue was shadowed in concern. It was a younger man, jet black hair and a velvet-lined jacket. He gave Conrad a cold look, but something about the expression on his face seemed troubled, but familiar. The crowd’s murmuring drowned his thoughts, until he heard a shout. 

 

“$400 to this gentleman right here!”

 

He seemed drawn to the man, for one reason or another, and was handed off once he produced the cash from a thick stack of bills from his pocket. This guy must have been loaded, but what could he possibly want with an old man without one of his kidneys?

 

The black-haired man stepped closer, and silently escorted Conrad out to a dark sedan in the parking lot, waving the driver off once where were settled in the backseat.

 

“My God, I can't believe I just fuckin’ did this,” he said, lighting up a hand rolled cigarette. A deep inhale, and a hasty exhale, and Conrad realized it was a blunt. To his further surprise, it was offered to him.

 

He bit his lip, “I uhh… am I allowed, Master?”

 

“Fuck,” the man lowered his head, exasperated. “Jesus, yes, just take the fuckin’ hit before I throw myself out of the damn car.” 

 

Reaching over, he took a short drag, coughing and sputtering from the unfamiliarity of the smoke. “F-fuck-”

 

“Here,” he was handed a small water bottle from a cupholder, and the man opened the window. “And for fuck's sake, my name is Avery, just use that, please.” 

 

The coughing continued, but Conrad nodded and managed out, “O-of course, s-sir.”

 

Avery took the blunt back, taking another hit from it, then licking his fingers to put out the end and hiding it back into his chest pocket. “And what do I call you?” He asked earnestly, face grim but eyes wide with anticipation.

 

“Conrad, or, whatever you want,” he replied.

 

Humming, his new owner repeated the name in a whisper as he looked over Conrad’s body. “You must be wondering why I bought you.” His own words made Conrad shrink a little in his seat.

 

“Color me curious,” he replied. “I'm not exactly hot stuff, but I've seen others who are worse off.”

 

Avery sat forward, and Conrad almost turned away as the young man began unbuttoning the slightly wrinkled, champagne-colored shirt, lifting away the undershirt to reveal a scar. 

 

“Your kidney saved my life,” he said softly, letting Conrad look for a second too long before hiding his perfectly pink flesh again. “So I decided to save yours.”

 

“I take it you haven't done this before? Dealing with The Circle?”

 

“ _ Fuck _ no,” he admitted. “Didn’t know they even dealt with fucking  _ human organs _ until I woke up in the hospital. I passed out at home, only to find that my father had signed a ton of paperwork on my behalf and-” He sighed. “I'm not rich, but my family is. I used the last of my inheritance pre-paying for the ‘member dues' or whatever the fuck they are called.”

 

Eyebrows raised, Conrad scratched at his forehead. “So this is just temporary, huh?”

 

“I hope not…” Avery sighed. “God, I hope not.” He tentatively brought a hand up to Conrad's face, waiting for a nod of permission before stroking along his jaw. “I couldn't believe it when my father’s friend said you were the one who… you're a very handsome man, Conrad.”

 

He snorted a little before turning his head into the gentle hand. After the last week or so of literal Hell-on-Earth, it felt relieving to feel such a tender touch. But, it didn't last long, as Avery retracted his hand. “Th-this is so fucked up!” He slapped his own face, “The fuck was I thinking? You're a goddamn  _ person _ , who I somehow  _ own _ , I can’t ask you to-”

 

“To what?” 

 

The youthful, if tired face burned with a scarlet blush. “I want to fuck you so badly, but if you can't say  _ no _ then it's not-”

 

“I don't want to say no,” Conrad said, taking another sip of water. “Look at you, why would I?”

 

Avery rubbed his face nervously, his leg bouncing to stem off excess energy in his system. He reached into his coat and lit the blunt again, this time opening a window as the smoke seeped from between his lips. “No… I can’t. Not yet, at least.”

 

The rest of the ride was silent, and as they pulled up to a small ranch-style house, Conrad really understood just the extent of Avery's lack of wealth. From what he had seen and heard, most Masters were disgustingly rich, which is why it had been such a guarded secret from most of the world. 

 

They were brought right up near the tiny porch, and Avery cautiously checked their surroundings to make sure they weren't being watched. He thanked the driver, and gave Conrad a nod as he dashed for the front door. Conrad was in no condition to run, but he followed as quickly as he could inside the small house.

 

And boy, a surprise waited for him inside.

 

Erotic posters lined the wall around a shelf of BDSM gear. A row of DVD’s lined the bottom row, and a rack of leather-strappy looking things beside the case. Something clicked in Conrad’s head, “Oh… you’re-”   
  
“Seen some of my work, have you?” Avery asked, removing his fancy-looking jacket and hanging it up in a small coat closet. “I can’t say my father was particularly thrilled when I chose this line of work, thus why I’m pretty cut off from his vast fortune. Although, not a lot of competition for ‘favorite kid’ since my brother died.” He didn’t even need to look to know that Conrad grimaced at how terse he said the words. “At least he died doing what he loved,” Avery said, passing through the room to the kitchen.   
  
“What… rock-climbing or something?”   
  
“Hookers and blow.”   
  
Conrad smirked a little, nodding. “Ahh… we’ve all been there, huh?”   
  
Pulling a carton of iced tea out of the fridge, Avery shrugged. “Cheers to that.”

 

Taking in other details of the small home, Conrad wasn’t too surprised; it wasn’t exactly clean, stains all over the muddy-grey carpets and painfully dull white walls. It wasn’t too large of a place, either. One door clearly led to a small bathroom, while the other was cracked open just enough to see the darkened bedroom on the other side of where he stood. 

 

“Why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll look for some clothes for you? I’m sure I’ve got something that’ll fit you.”   
  
Nodding, Conrad obeyed, “Right, yeah.”

 

It had felt like so long since he had gotten a warm shower, and it felt good against his skin despite the stinging of the incision on his abdomen that hadn’t quite finished healing. He assumed that any of the soap was fair game, and popped open a few of the caps before picking one out to use. Conrad scrubbed away the grime in his hair, across his body, in the cracks where the smell had likely festered the most. Much to his relief, his throbbing erection was dealt with, as well.

 

The warmth eased his muscles, between that and the small dose of marijuana he had been offered, he was starting to feel more relaxed than he had since his last night of freedom. 

 

When The Circle offered him a contract, he had a whole day to live as he pleased before signing away his life. He got fucked up on crack for the first time in years, and let himself wander the streets where he jerked off when the urge came on. It was freeing; he took a cab home and was dumped out on the sidewalk before falling asleep on the couch.

 

But, he woke up the next morning feeling like death to the sound of fists trying to break down his door. It was a mistake, but there was no getting out of it now. At least here, with Avery, seemed infinitely better than where he could’ve ended up.

 

He shut off the water, and managed to find a towel within reach when he heard a small knock on the cheap, hollow door. “I found some clothes for ya… I’ll just leave them by the sink?” Avery asked.   
  
“Great! Uhhh, thanks,” the man said, hiding behind the curtain until the door hinges squeaked and it closed once more. Poking his head out, he saw a small stack of assorted pants and shirts, he’d have to figure out what would be able to fit him.   
  
Upon closer inspection, he chuckled lightly at the options. The bottoms were either sweatpants or light cotton pants with drawstrings, and there were a few large t-shirts with some porn website logos on them. He picked out the thicker pajama pants, which seemed to go well with the HotCam shirt that was right on the bottom of the selection. 

 

Emerging from the bathroom, the pungent smell of pot had filled the room, and he saw Avery sprawled over the couch with a small, glass pipe in one hand with his phone in the other. He looked up after a moment, the whites of his eyes a little pink, but gave Conrad a sweet grin as he tucked the phone away. “If you’re tired, you’re welcome to use the bedroom,” he offered, gesturing with his head to the nearly-closed door. 

 

“Actually,” the older man said, rubbing his arms a little from the change in temperature. “You got any food?”   
  
“Yes! Uh… well let me check,” bolting up from the couch, nearly spilling the contents of his bowl, Avery slid across the kitchen’s linoleum to the fridge and rattled off some options. “Leftover Chinese food, some mac and cheese, I probably have some cans of soup I could heat up, or-”   
  


“Could I have the takeout?” 

 

Avery pulled it out, and looked across the room sympathetically where Conrad stood. He looked a little lost, like he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. “Have a seat. I’ll heat it up, ok?”

 

“That’d be-” Conrad gave up any sort of protest, and sat at the couch. “Thanks.”

 

The paper takeout container was turned upside-down into a bowl, and stuck in the ancient-looking microwave for a couple of minutes. “So, how did you get involved with The Circle?”

 

“I’ve been trapped in debt for years. My mortgage caught up with me, and it was… well, it was a way out of that.” He left out anything about Christina, at least for now. Her face still burned in his mind, and it only made him feel the coil of anger in his gut.   
  
“Ahhhh,” Avery nodded, looking a little troubled. “Is it… is it really that bad?” He asked, laughing a little nervously. “I mean, fuck, I doubt they  _ asked _ before taking your fucking kidney out. Am I wrong?”

 

The microwave beeped, “Yeah, you’re not wrong.”

 

“Want a fork or chopsticks?” 

 

“Fork’s fine,” Conrad said, and a moment later he had a steaming bowl of pork lo mein on his lap. He shoved the prongs in, swirling it in the noodles to get them to curl around the metal so he got a full bit in his mouth. It tasted like heaven after hardly eating for days on end, “Thanks, Avery.”   
  


The young man took a long breath, “I almost signed a contract with them.”

 

Conrad had thankfully swallowed his first bite of food, but nearly dropped his utensil. “You  _ what _ ?”

 

“I did say  _ almost _ ,” Avery defended, but joined the man on the couch and leaned back. “I wanted to get away from the expectations, the safe lifestyle. I liked danger, I wanted to have control taken away from me,” he explained. “But now that I’ve seen what it’s like, I’m sure I would have regretted it.”

 

“Probably,” Conrad replied callously. “I only just signed on a week ago, if that, and I’m already down an organ. If I was young and pretty like you, I can’t imagine where I’d be sent off to.”

 

“I want to protect you, Conrad.” Avery turned to him, catching his gaze with rings of red spreading around his eyes as his voice cracked with emotion. “I don’t care what I have to do, I don’t ever want to see you up on an auction block again. My dues are set for a while, but after that I-”

 

He gave a little sniff, trying to turn away, but Conrad set his bowl down on the coffee table and leaned in close to him. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said, trying to comfort him. “I really appreciate it Ave, but I intend to make the most out of the time you’ve bought for me. Who knows where I’d be right now? You didn’t need to, or want to, but you did.”

 

“I’m not some superhero who swooped in at the right time, Conrad,” Avery buried his face in his hands, letting himself fall into the larger man’s embrace. “The mere thought that in some fuckin’ contract I technically own another person, own  _ you _ , I just... It’s wrong, and it’s  _ vile _ -” He ran out of breath, panting to catch up with his lungs and his thoughts. “I went there to buy you out of guilt, but you already know I would be lying if a part of me doesn't want to have you in more ways than that. But… it wouldn't be right.”

 

An odd desire overwhelmed Conrad, and he lifted Avery close to him, holding him tightly against his chest. The man struggled for a moment, before giving a slightly indignant huff and nuzzling into Conrad’s neck. “Fuck,” he whispered. 

 

“What can I do to make you believe me? To assure you I want whatever you’ll give me.”

 

There was silence for a moment, save for the uneven breathing from the man on his lap. “Wait,” he said. “Give me a few days to figure my shit out. I have work tomorrow, and I’ll be dead-tired after that. But I want to do right by you.” 

 

“I think I can do that.”

  
  


Words are, more often than not, more easily spoken than carried out.

 

Avery had left early in the morning, after leaving a note on the coffee table beside the folded-out couch that Conrad had slept on.

 

_ ‘Off to work. Food in the fridge, make yourself at home. -A’ _

 

But those weren’t the words proving difficult for Conrad. No, the hard part was keeping his promise to be patient. 

 

Everything inside him wanted to bed Avery, to let him sleep with him in bed, to hold him through the night and assure Avery of what he wanted. But no, it would be eight, maybe even twelve hours before the young man returned.

 

_ ‘Make yourself at home’, huh?  _

 

Conrad staggered across the floor to the kitchen, delighted to find a pot of coffee had been made, and beside it was a bag of plain bagels. It didn’t take long before he had a reasonable breakfast, the first he had even seen in what felt like ages, and he scarfed it down at a record speed.

 

He thought he would get bored quickly, but there at least a small television, and he managed to find some paperback books amongst the collection of erotic magazines. What else was he supposed to do?   
  
It was hard to gauge whether Avery would be upset if he tried to clean up. For one thing, he seemed opposed to the sheer thought of Conrad serving him in any way, even if he wanted to. But, he still felt like he owed something,  _ something _ for Avery protecting him from whatever horrors he could have been roped into. 

 

At least some small tasks: dishes, clean the bathroom, maybe sweep the floor a little? Not that he put much care into doing those things with his own house, but it held a different meaning doing it for someone else, someone who gave a shit about him. 

 

He accomplished the few, easy chores, and then settled back on the couch to sleep a little more. Maybe it was from being down a kidney, but he certainly felt weaker than he usually did. 

 

A few hours, he decided. Just in time for Avery to return home, right?

 

But, he slept right through that. 

  
  


Avery was bone-tired when he stepped through the front door, and was about to announce his return until he saw Conrad passed out on the couch. He smiled; it had been years since he had any kind of relationship. Not that there was any kind of relationship between them, not like that, but he could pretend for a little while. 

 

Pretend that Conrad had gotten home from a long day. He sat down on the couch, just as exhausted as Avery felt, and decided to take a nap. 

 

He could pretend to give the man a kiss on the forehead, quietly setting down a briefcase or laptop bag down before peaking in the freezer for something to make for dinner. They could eat on the couch while watching a movie, then cuddle until Conrad got up to wash the dishes and nudge Avery to the bedroom.

 

But, only pretend.

 

He did have some meatballs in the freezer, and so he pulled them out to thaw and set a pot of water on the stove to boil pasta. There was a lack of sauce in the cabinet, not even a can of stewed tomatoes like he used to keep for culinary emergencies. But at least he had butter and a plastic tube of something that was supposed to resemble Parmesan cheese, and that would be good enough. 

 

While the water heated up, he padded into the bedroom to change. His ass ached like hell, having spent the last hour at work getting fucked before stroking himself off into some pretty little blond's mouth. The was a dark realization that he didn't always know some of the extras they had on set, just that they were clean, and he was too scared to ask after all these years if some of them were slaves. Like Conrad. 

 

He locked away the thought, halting the lump in his throat from growing, and put on the loosest pants and shirt he owned that he hadn't given to-

 

Shit. Clothes. He meant to stop by somewhere on his way home and pick up something that was actually Conrad's size. 

 

Disappointed, he went back into the joined kitchen/living room, but the squeak from closing the door roused the dozing form in the couch. 

 

“Hmmm?” 

 

“Good morning, Conrad,” Avery greeted sweetly. “I'm making some dinner, would you mind filling my pipe for us to share?”

 

Groggy eyes searched him, the room, as if he was slowly remembering that the world existed. “Huh?”

 

“The grinder is on that shelf by the couch,” he pointed, until Conrad clearly spotted the dull, metallic cylinder and picked it up. “Thank you.”

 

He went back to stirring the water a little, waiting for it to heat up enough for the noodles. Flicking on another burner, he emptied the rest of the meatballs that were left into a frying pan, sprinkling it with garlic powder. 

 

“How was work?” Conrad asked, though his voice gave away his hesitance. 

 

“Not bad, but long,” he replied coolly. “Started with a solo work, just to warm up. Helped a few other scenes as a fluffer until the big threesome shoot we had.” He glanced over his shoulder, relieved that Conrad didn't seem to put-off by the candidly blunt explanation. “It was a good payday, we will eat like kings when check gets processed.” 

 

The water finally ready, he poured two boxes of pasta into the foaming pot, and gave the meatballs a turn. “You?”

 

The man seemed slightly preoccupied, so it took a long moment before he replied. “Yeah, uhhh… cleaned a little bit, watched some television. Hope that's ok?”

 

Avery smiled, “Yeah, ‘f course, anything is fine. I uh-” he coughed a little, “I was gonna give you my phone later to pick out some clothes. Nothin’ designer, but enough to have a good variety for now. Seasonal stuff, he can worry about colder weather when it gets here.”

 

“Sure, sure,” Conrad fumbled with his fingers as he placed a pinch of the ground marijuana in the pipe. “Thank you, Avery.”

 

The rest of the dinner-making process passed in peaceful quiet, and it was almost like Avery’s fantasy came true. They ate their over-filled bowls of ziti and turkey meatballs while the news blared, until Avery switched it to some staged game show. 

 

It was nice. Almost perfect.

 

The weed hit him hard and fast, knocking him on his ass so he was slouching against the couch cushions. They smelled a little less like pot, and a little more like Conrad since he slept there the night before. It was a little too intoxicating.

 

He eventually dug his phone out of his pocket, giving it to Conrad to search for clothes. He faded in and out of being awake as the loud buzzers from the TV program startles him every few minutes, but he was still more relaxed than he had been. 

 

“Hey, Ave?”

 

His eyes were closed, but he turned his head to show his attention, “Yeah?”

 

“Are you working tomorrow?”

 

“Mmm…” he thought for a moment. “Not until late in the afternoon,” he said. “Why?”

 

He heard Conrad take another hit from the pipe, coughing and sputtering a little dramatically. Avery smiled a little, especially when Conrad inched closer. “Well, I was gonna ask if I could make you breakfast tomorrow, but I’m not really the best at getting up early unless I really have to.”

 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Avery’s mouth turned into a tilted curve. “You know you don’t need to do that, right?”

 

“I’d really like to. And I’ll make myself some too, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Conrad insisted, face growing closer to Avery’s as it flushed with a warm, rosy hue. 

 

“Oh-ok…”

 

But there was something else, too. The younger man’s breaths came out in heavy bouts like a summer breeze, and Conrad noticed the threatening bulge in his loose pants. With a silent exchange, Avery let time-worn hands brush against his skin, travelling slowly to go lower and lower. He swore under his breath, too enthralled and excited to deny the man’s offer any longer.

 

“Oh shit, Ave,” Conrad wasn’t expecting the impressive girth of the erection as he palmed it through the soft fabric. He may have dimly remembered seeing the beautiful young man years ago in one of his films, but seeing his cock and  _ feeling _ it were two completely different things.

 

Despite his desire, Avery could hardly move after the long day of work, but it didn’t seem to matter as his pants were tugged away and Conrad’s mouth was on him in an instant. He shivered, relishing in the swirl of Conrad’s tongue along the head and his lips that created a slight suction. Aver’s hips twitched instinctually, but he tried to hold back to avoid accidentally choking Conrad.

 

“So sweet, baby…” Conrad groaned, and his words sounded slightly hushed around Avery’s cock. 

 

“Conrad- fuck!” He threw his head back, jaw dropping to let his mouth open to accommodate the whines of pleasure that escaped.

 

It wasn’t the best blowjob he had ever had, as far as efficiency that is. But it was tender, and loving; Conrad made soft sounds of his own and squeezed Avery’s thighs as he rocked his whole body rhythmically. The familiar tidal wave of burning pleasure washed over Avery, and he let out a moan that, while not as dramatically loud as when he was filming, was ernest and nasally and he spilled his load down Conrad’s throat.

 

He was still seeing stars as Conrad pulled off a him, jerking himself off as he half-collapsed against Avery and made a mess of their clothing as his spunk shot out in spurts between them. Only then did he fully sink his weight into the smaller man.

 

The sudden rush of it all cracked something in Avery, and maybe it was the warm and cuddly proximity during his afterglow, but he held onto Conrad tightly, and vowed that he would do whatever it took to feel Conrad’s embrace without the cold, steel collar around his neck.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!! 
> 
> I couldn't help myself after absolutely devouring this book in just a day or two, I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH. <3 Thank you, Reis, are giving us these beautiful boys!
> 
> Come say hi on Twitter:  
> Come say hi on Twitter: [LadyAmalthea](https://twitter.com/canticumexvacui?s=09)


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